It's been raining hard for five days straight and the sky has been night-black with clouds even mid-day. Even though I'm the kind of person who comes back from a bike ride soaking wet and grinning from ear to ear, I'm starting to feel like I'm drowning. When your mode of transportation is walking, biking, or by motor scooter, there is no way to stay dry. The rain always finds its way under your poncho, and you're only as dry as your umbrella is wide.
This week I had the pleasure of meeting Yule and Yiwan, a middle-aged couple from church that I've heard so much about from the other team members. Yule is retired from the Taiwanese air force and Yiwan is a music teacher in a public girl's high school (most high schools in Taiwan are segregated). Today I got to visit her classes. For the music appreciate part of the class, she uses worship songs and the girls sing very enthusiastically. Yiwan invited me to introduce myself and explain the songs "Give Thanks" and "Lord I Lift your Name on High". I've never seen a happier class. It was definitely a joy to see Yiwan's ministry that has been going on in a public high school for decades. One of my fellow teachers at Concordia School went to that girl's high school, and she had Yiwan as a teacher. "My first experience with Christianity was learning praise songs in Teacher Yiwan's class", she told me. Very neat experience!
Also, I'm realizing how BLESSED I am that God has made my transition to Taiwan so smooth. I really love the team here, and even living in a "community house" that feels like a college dorm has really helped me in easing my way out of college life and community that I loved so dearly. Tonight we celebrated a team member's birthday by going out to eat then back to their house for cake and ice cream. On Thursday nights we have prayer time, sometimes outside, but on rainy days at the "Practice Hotel" where the girls live. After prayer time tonight some of us girls just talked and laughed and it felt so refreshing to be able to have that same type of community here that I had in college. God is good! I think he knew I needed it, at least for this stage in the transition.
Less than two weeks until I come home!
Bible verse for the day:
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19-22
In Christ,
Anna
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